curlicuecal:

pervocracy:

There are many exhausting things about the Trump Era, but few moreso than the idea that hurting people is strong and masculine.

Hurting people is the easiest thing ever.  Proposing to solve all your problems with “we should hurt the other people involved this problem” is super obvious and not at all clever.  Insulting people and destroying things are so easy most preschoolers have mastered it.

I could insult everyone in the world right now and I wouldn’t even have to study for it.

It’s like answering every question on a math test with “who cares, numbers are for losers,” then thinking you won something because the teacher got upset.  It’s not just wrong, it’s lazy.

Making people happy, making their lives better, now that’s hard.  That’s something that requires actual toughness and courage.  It’s an uncertain, often unrewarding task, and will bring you face-to-face with the limitations of your resources and abilities.  Helping people is never a guaranteed thing, and to keep trying despite that requires real strength of character.

Maybe we could glamorize that kind of strength for once.

I think a LOT about that time Melania Trump said, essentially, ‘if my husband gets attacked he punches back ten times harder"

I think about how the ability to do that doesn’t require bravery; it’s a power play from someone used to being stronger than the people he gets in fights with

I think about how Trump has a documented history of assaulting his wives

I think about how she was probably being very, very honest, and how she probably has very, very good reasons to be aware of that character trait and share it like a warning and tread in perpetual caution herself.